The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-04-15
The Egis & Intelligencer
. Bel Air, Md, April Is, 1857.
VVI N II 2Hu'f fVI TT fVI IOy1'
DEER CREEK FARMERR' CLUB.
How Can Farming Re Made More Profit
able

lambs some of them ready for sale His regis
tered Short Horn cattle look well. Mr.. Web
ster pays much attention TO chickens. He pre-
fcrs games, but has discarded them because they
will fly over into the garden, and is now raising
pure-bred langshans.
The question for discussion was How can
Farming be made more prohtablef'
Mr.. Webster said that to accomplish the desir-
ed result two things are necessary. In the first
pace farmer should pow no more ground
than he can cultivate properly and the crops
from which he can harvest and house without
damage. by applying the same amount OF ferti-
lizers to the reduced acreage plowed as is now
spread over large surface, the profit would be
greater, because the yield would be increased
beyond the increased expenses. Next, farmer
should give personal attention to the little things
on his farm.
For instance farmer may lose lamb by not
being at home when It is born. 1t Is q little
Neglecting to open the mouth OF drain, after
heavy rain involving perhaps five minutes work,
Fences should be carefully attended to. top
rail of OF fence may allow your stock to get
into harvest field, and ever after 1t will be al
most impossible TO keep th"m in the field. 1t is
in these little things that profit may be found -
Farmers should raise more stock than they
generally do-an extra calf, few more pigs or
chickens will add from $40 to $50 to the receipts,
enough TO pay the extra harvest wages.
VIM. Munnikhuysen thought farming could be
made more profitable here IL farmers would
plow less and keep more stock
John Moores said that while there is not n
farmer ought to have something to sell at all
times. Keep out of debt. II you have not
more attention to making fertilizers at home
some members thought farmer might with
profit buy fertilizers on credit. Mr.. Moores said
young man might borrow money TO buy ferti-
lizers, but II a man has been farming p 30
Years and has not made money enough to buy
them he had better quit.
Geo. J. Finney thought farming could be made
more profitable by attention to details. He also
thought free trade would benefit the farming
classes.
II. John Rogers said the margin of profit in
general farming Is very SMALL but there is rea-
AIN In fen inns ct fnHn f Ind
ccpt horses; besides by producing manure at
home heavy fertilizer bills arc saved. II we
realize market prices at home for grain and hay
1t is much better than selling them. On 100
acre farm manure enough ought to be made for
me corn Iahd: besla ., IN Ieeding STOCK me
large farms stock can be raised prOhtably, but
on small places the grass had better be fed to
something that can be readily turned into
VIM. D. Lee did not agree with Mr. Rogers
about feeding horses. He had found them as
profitable as other stock.
Geo. Il. Cairnes thought much could be saved
by looking after details. The dairy and poultry
are not looked after as carefully es they
should be, and both would be profitable.
Jacob Il. Webster's experience was that to raise
than to buy steers.
VIM. b. Hopkins said that farmer must give
close attention to his business to make 1t profit
able. Every acre should be made to produce
all 1t possibly can, and he thought it would pay
t. borrow money TO buy fertilizers IL thereby
the land can be made to produce double it has
been doing. 1t pays to raise calves. Mr.. James
Lee had sold homo raised steer 81 months old,
which weighed LOO lbs. You can raise two
year-old steer and make 1t pay you $50. Little
things, such as butter and eggs, will help to make
Edward r. Moores said many small things
might be found prottablcona farm that neg
lected As to ertiltzerS, man can buy a GER
can be overdone. Fertilizers might be found at
home to take the place of bought fertilizers
For instance a man has ditch that is filled up.
In opening 1t IL the earth is spread over the land
It Will be OF great advantage TO corn or wheat
farmer who has range for stock can raise
James w. Hanna thought there is some profit
IN raising small stock, particularly sheep
). NJ: Lee said that personal attention to small
as well as large matters Is a great point in in
creasing the profits of farm. Lands must be
improved, but most lands have in themselves
capabilities OF improvemcn mt II properly mansg-
ed. If proper course Of farming IL not follow |
cd Is not judicious to buy fertilizers.
discussion than took place as to the improve |
ment by the use of commercial fertilizers. MIR. !
Moores remarked that If such fertilizers will |
$ III for more now than they did 20 years ago?
Mr.. Lee said the lands here will produce three |
times as much as they would before the war and |
were great deal better than land he had seen sold
for 800 an acre in Allegany county and for $50 |
IN Talbot county. Our lands are selling for half !
their value compared with those in some other |
parts of the State.
The reason why land is so low here, Mr.. jan
ncy thought, is the want Of railroad facilities
People come here, are delighted with the conn-
try, but go away because there is no railroad |
Still people won't subscribe for railroad now |
that they have an opportunity. Put railroad |
through the Deer Creek country and our lands |
will double in value.
Mr.. Lee resuming. said that while the profits |
OF farming are small 1t Is safe business. IL |
farmers would credit their farms with alI,they |
get from them they would see that they get a |
Il. Harris Archer thought man might borrow
money to buy fertilizers If he could thereby in |
crease his corn crop from 10 to Ii barrels acre |
but he did not think 1t would pay to buy fertili-
zers TO increase the yield from u to 90 barrels
II farmer would attend to his business as
merchant stOrekppDpr
profit. would be greater.
DIR. J. b. Webster thought farmers profits
would be increased If they would use lime and |
clover t. fertilize their lands instead OF so much
bought fertilizers. Farmers should also raise
more stock, get good hands and keep them al
Johns II Janney said the only way he could
the land producn or9 Tbs bn no %
be done by more thorough tillage before and |
after crops are planted I He did not think our
vatOn Land in China has been cultivated for
1000 years or more and supports population of |
5Oo0O0,0OO. There must be some way 10 keep up
fertility. we would pillow little deeper and |
pulverize the soil better. the fertilizers would |
raising calves. He had sold home raised steer,
not quite 3 years old. for 81. 1t is mistake to
make cattle too fat. The last pound costs too
for tallow and sell 1t at 2cents pound. He had
fattened 20 cattle, which were kept months in
barrels of corn apiece. He paii $lo.3j per head |
for them: the feed was worth 81 -, the net pro-
tit being So head, He has manure enough to
cover p acres, including that from the horse !
stable. He had also kept p hogs in his barn yard
Judge Jas ID. Waters said Providence never
intended that farmers should get rich, All that
the mass of farmers can do is to make comfort
able living. No business that does not incur |
risks can invite large profits. IL we are raising |
produce at loss at present prices, there are |
only two ways to make it profitable. One is |
toincrease prices and the other to diminish the |
cost of production. We can not increase prices, !
therefore farmers must look to the other. For |
instance, II we can raise 20 bushels of wheat at |
30 cents per bushel and come out even, by |
increasing the yield of our land to 30 bushels we |
would have some profit Another way to make |
those branches which pay best in our particular
locality. No doubt our farmers can devote more |
attention then they have done to stock raising
but to make 1t profitable we should have stock of |
good quality. In breeding horses This is UNI |!
questionably lmpnr ant. This thinz of breeding
to scrub horses with the expectation OF gettinga |
phenomenal trotter Is nonsense BY using little /
Judgment 1t is as easy to raise colts worth $3.50
$500 at three years old instead of one worth $75 |
as IL is to improve your land and make ii raise 70
barrels OF corn an acre instead of five. He did not
mean that farmers should raise race horses. but |
there is class of roadsters which can be raised |
with as much certainty rs beef cattle. Coach |
horses and large work horses always bring big |
three years old for $40 or $50 without loss, by |
improving your stock and raising a thrce-year |
old steer which will sell ut 800 there is profit in
it. 1t is the same with COWS. If it will pay ex-
penses to keep a cow that will make or lbs. |
of butter week, there would be profit in keep |
ing improved stock that would make 10 lbs To |
improve land by natural process is very slow and /
therefore artificial means must be used to assist |
natures process of Improvement Farmers do |
not pay as much attention as they ought to saw |
ing manures. The average loss Is fully three |
fourihs before getting them on the land, and |
great deal is lost after being puto Manure |
saved under cover would be worth great deal |
more than that saved in the usual way.
Geo. L. Silver said that at present prices farm |
Ing hardly paws expenses AMI In looking over |
this country, with its fertility OF soil and vast |
extent. only needing some one to work II. there |
is u probability that prices will be no higher |
unl' IS we can get foreign market. Foreign |
markets. too, are supplied by themselves. The |
only thing left for American farmers is to pro- |
duce their crops ut less cost This might be done |
by the use of improved machinery. We should |
encourage capital IN come into our county and |
state to manufacture machinery. This will |
bring labor and give us home market for our |
produce. We must practice diversified hus-
bandry as much as possible. Canning, for in
stance. has done a great deal for Hartford county |
II has taken those engaged in 1t from the list OF
producers-and opened market for what others |
produced. Every new enterprise bringing
foreign capital here should be welcomed. Every |
acre of land, too, should be made TO yield a |
revenue. An account should be opened with |
every field and IL 1t don't yield us profit over
expenses should ascertain the reason Eyprv |